The Order and the ANBU
by peridxt
Summary: "Kakashi; Don't show off, don't hurt anyone, and don't leak killing intent, purposely or not. - Sandaime." Kakashi and Rin are sent to the Order to protect Harry. Set during OotP. Past ObiKaka. Incomplete & Abandoned.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Sandaime,_

 _I know it has not been a long time since I last asked a favor of you, but I have to ask another now. As you know, it is Harry Potter's fifth year to come to Hogwarts. In light of recent events, namely those of last year, I must ask for someone to help guard Harry. He is in even more danger this year, as the ministry has decided interfere with the school, placing one of their high-ranking woman in our staff. I know you are on the verge of war friend, but if you could please spare one of your better ninja to send here to help, it would be most appreciated._  
 _Thank you,_  
 _Albus_

The Sandaime looked over the letter from his dear friend. Konohagakure was on the brink of war again, as always. If it was peaceful, there would still be suspicion of deceit. He sighed and pulled out a brush to answer the letter. He laid out a blank sheet and started writing.

 _Albus,_  
 _What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you in your time of need? I will send you two of my nin. The first is a Hatake Kakashi. His friend has just recently died, and he could do with time outside the hidden villages. His file is enclosed._  
 _He is the best._  
 _The second is - Rin. She is his only living affiliation other than me and his mentor - Minato. She is a medic and will be able to heal Kakashi and advise on it if need be. She will also be able to keep Kakashi in check. She is currently on a mission, so I will send Kakashi on ahead and send her when she reports back. Her file is aHlso enclosed._  
 _Best of luck,_  
 _Saindaime_

He folded the letter up, adding Rin's slim folder and Kakashi's bulkier one. He tied it all together and handed it to the phoenix, who had been waiting patiently for it. Once he had it, Fawkes took off through the window with a great flap of his flame-red wings and dissapeared. The hokage sighed slightly. Kakashi. He was on the verge of breaking down, and probably would if Rin and Minato were not there. Obito's death had hit him hard. Really hard. He had refrained from mentioning Kakashi's broken status, but he would be surprised if Dumbledore didn't figure it out. The kid needed time away not jst as a vacation, but to prevent him from drowning in his own memories.

He just hoped it would help.


	2. Chapter 2

_Mission: succesful_  
 _Rank: A Injuries:_  
 _ANBU Ōkami; broken rib (3), twisted elbow (1), broken finger (2), head wound (2), miscellaneous laceration (27)_  
 _ANBU Kawauso; broken rib (2), fractured ankle (1), miscellaneous laceration (16)_  
 _ANBU Tanuki; fractured wrist (1), miscellaneous laceration (19)_  
 _Casualties: none_

* * *

Kakashi's elbow stabbed pain up his arm and he sprinted back to the village. He was bloody and he ached all over. The enemy nin had been easy enough to take out, but they had ganged up on Kakashi before his team had managed to get them. Thanks to that, Kakashi was the one sporting most of the injuries. They darted through the village gate and made their way to the Hokage's office. Kakashi, true to form, swung in through the window with his team following close behind. An important looking man with a long white beard and ridiculous clothes was standing in the office and had been talking to the Hokage when they tumbled in, interrupting their meeting. He looked startled and slightly appalled at the sight of Kakashi and his team in uniform, with ferocious red painted masks, and torn up and bloodied. Kakashi ignored him, kneeling in front of the Hokage, and two others followed suit. He grimaced behind his red wolf mask and grunted out the report.

"ANBU Ōkami reporting. Mission succesful. Five enemy Suna-nin guarding the scroll. We incapacitated them and retrieved the scroll. Casualties: five Suna-nin. Full report will be written by ANBU Tanuki." He stood, and Kawauso took over.

"Major injuries to ANBU Tanuki; one fractured wrist. Major injuries to ANBU Kawauso; two broken ribs, one fractured ankle. Major injuries to ANBU Ōkami; three broken ribs, one twisted elbow, two broken fingers, two head wounds." The other two stood straight behind him, Kawauso hissing quietly at his ankle. Tanuki produced the scroll and approached the Hokage, setting it down on the desk gingerly. She went back to stand in her position at Kakashi's right flank. The Hokage nodded once and replied, "ANBU Tanuki, ANBU Kawauso, you are dismissed." They bowed deeply and filed out, and Kakashi knew they both intended to go straight to the hospital. He stood erect, looking their leader straight in the eye silently.

"ANBU Ōkami, you are taken off duty. Remove your mask." Kakashi stiffened. Off duty? The Hokage saw him tense and look amused.

"Don't flip out, it's only for a meeting." He relaxed his tense position, although still wary. He put a hand on his mask, and blood dampened his dark gloves. He could feel the cool ceramic under his fingertips, and was mildly surprised to find it slick with blood and dirt. He gently tugged it off his face, his expression he was sure not betraying any emotion. The bandages tied around Obito's eye were dirtied with sweat and blood that had leaked under his mask. He readjusted the bandages and his other mask, his eyes cold. It was only then that he spoke in a low voice, "Hokage-sama, I need to report to the hospital to have my injuries taken care of. My elbow and fingers were not set very well in the heat of the moment. Since then Kawauso has not had a chance to reset them." The hokage half-smiled, translating Hatake's polite speech to it's real meaning: 'Cut to the chase.'

"Kakashi, this is Albus Dumbledore. He will be your next client." Kakashi's jaw clenched ever so slightly.

"He has a school on the Outside that needs a guard. It's classified as S, and may change to unranked later on. I have assigned you and Rin to it."

Kakashi couldn't help but cut in harshly, "Sir, you seem to have forgotten Rin is on a mission in Suna."

"I am aware of that, Kakashi. She will be sent to join you as soon as she returns." Kakashi restrained himself from pointing out the mission could be over by the time she got back.

"He will brief you on the mission, then you may tend to your wounds. After you have healed, you will leave." Kakashi didn't answer; there was no need to. He turned to the other, and took this time to take in what he had first ignored. He had half-moon glasses in front of pale blue eyes, and underneath those there was a huge long snow-white beard. He was wearing a robe with colors that scream for attention and a hat with a similar tone. It was all very conspicuous. The tall man smiled kindly at Kakashi, but the ANBU's cold stare was unrelenting. He cleared his throat amd began the debriefing.

"At the school I am headmaster of, there's a boy, only a little older than you, who's being targeted by Voldemort."

"Voldemort is basically their Orochimaru," Sandaime added and Kakashi twitched in sympathy for the kid.

"I need you to come to the school and protect should also protect the other students and the school as a whole. Last year Voldemort tried to kill Harry, and the government is now gettong involved. And not in our favor." The man seemed to think and then asked, "You do speak english, don't you?"

"Yes sir." Kakashi answered in english. Dumbledore smiled slightly to himself. The boy barely had an accent. This kid was looking very promising. As Dumdledore was thinking this, the Hokage started speaking to Kakashi.

"There is one other thing. They have jutsu there, but it's dramatically different from any you've seen. It operates in a completely alien way. Instead of hand signs, they just say a word and point their wand and things _happen_. They call it magic."  
Kakashi looked at the stranger with an ironic look. When he spoke his voice was flat.

"Magic, sir?"

His leader and the old man chuckled at that. "Yes Kakashi."

"You will be staying at the school for the entire year, staying with Harry for the holidays. You can send letter through owl, but you can't come back to the village until the mission is over.

"Considering the circumstances, you will meet up with Harry and my friends at their hideout. They'll teach you basic magic so you'll fit in. You'll have to pose as a student for the mission though."

Kakashi had to bite his tongue so hard he tasted blood. POSE as a STUDENT to GUARD some academy BRATS for a YEAR. MAGIC. He didn"t care if this mission was unranked and was raking in money.

'What the fuck kind of mission is this?'


	3. Chapter 3

_Duffel bag contents:_  
 _ANBU uniform (1), first aid kit (1), roll of bandages (1), hitai-ate (1), flak jacket (1), framed photograph (1), katana (1), civilian outfit (1), nin outfit (1), kunai (15), shuriken (10), senbon (10), summoning scroll (1)_

* * *

Two days later Kakashi was healed and ready to leave. He was still wearing his ANBU outfit and mask. He had packed all of his possessions into his ANBU duffel bag. It was a rather meager collection all together; a spare ANBU uniform, a roll of bandages, a first aid kit, two changes of clothes, his hitai-ate, flak jacket, a photo of team Minato, a katana, and assorted weaponry. he hefted the bag over his shoulder, grunting as his elbow twinged painfully. He made sure it was secure and completed the hand signs, disappearing in a puff of smoke and leaves. He reappeared in the Hokage's office and kneeled in front of the desk. "ANBU Ōkami, reporting for duty."

"Good. Stand up, Kakashi." The ANBU stood up stiffly, and the held out a scroll to him. "Take this and you'll be transported to meet one of Dumbledore's contacts." So that was the old man's name. "He will say 'The dragon breathes fire' and you should reply 'and beats his wings' It means nothing." Kakashi nodded and was about to take the scroll when he realized.

"How does a scroll transport me?"

The Hokage replied and simply said, "Magic."

Kakashi glared and took the scroll, opening his mouth to make a smart remark when there was a very uncomfortable pull on his navel.

The next thing he knew, he was sprawled in the luscious green grass of a hill somewhere in Europe. Kakashi lay there for a few moments, hating the Hokage and hating Dumbledore and hating the ANBU and hating the mission and hating everything else too for good measure. After he got over it he pulled himself and his duffel bag up, cursing in japanese emphatically. When he was standing upright again, he looked around and saw someone standing there in civilian close looking at him with an eyebrow raised. Kakashi appraised him curiously. One of his eyes was electric blue and twitched crazily, staring about with a mind of its own. The other was normal though, and was staring right back into the ANBU's eyes. He looked skeptic as he said the code phrase.

"The dragon breathes fire,"

"And beats his wings." Kakashi completed smoothly. The man nodded and steped forward, holding out a hand.

"'m Alastor Moody."

"I am ANBU Ōkami. My name is Ha-Kakashi Hatake." _Damn foreign languages,_ Kakashi gritted his teeth at they way he tripped over the unfamiliar formalities.

"..Ohkahmee?" Kakashi's fingers twitched at the twisted way he pronounced his native tongue.

"Ōkami. Wolf in this language."

"Hmm."

That was all the answer he got from Moody. He handed Kakashi a scrap of paper with englosh scribbled across it.

"Read that and come on."

Kakashi looked down at the strip.

 _Number 12 Grimmauld Place_

He followed Alastor down towards the houses navigating through the streets with ease. He obviously knew where he was going. Kakashi had no choice but to keep trudging behind him. He was suddenly reminiscent of when _he_ was a captain and he would lead people like that. When being two days ago. They finally stood in front of the divide between two other houses. Alastor did some of that fancy shmancy magic stuff and a door to another house was there. Magically.

Fun.

Kakashi grumbled under his breath in Japanese irritably as they went in through the door. No one was in the entry hallway, but there was noise and voices coming from a room that looked to be the kitchen and dining room. Alastor squeezed in and Kakashi had to stand awkwardly in the doorway. When everyone (and everyone is a whole damn lot of people) saw the new addition, an eerie stillness fell over them. This lasted for two tense heartbeats when "MUDBLOO-" A hideous shriek ripped through the silence and Kakashi didn't think.

He reacted.

He twisted, pulling three kunai from his hidden holster and three them at the source of the sound. The screech cut off and Kakashi stood facing the target.  
And this took all of two seconds.

The silence which had earlier been suspicious and curious, was now shocked, awed, and more than a little fearful. Kakashi looked to see what he had hit. Hooked on the wall was a portrait of a serious looking women with wavy black hair. And two kunai at her neck and one to her heart. Her face was contorted in surprise and rage, but

Kakashi stared her down.

The quiet was broken when a tall man with stringy black hair and haunted eyes who smelled like dogs started to laugh hysterically. Kakashi turned back around and glanced at him curiously. He wiped at his eyes and grinned at the ANBU.

"You," he gasped,"are the only thing I know of that has ever shut my mother up." some of the others cracked a grin, and a few chuckled. Kakashi even allowed himself a small wry smile (not that any of them would know, of course). Alastor cleared his throat and the others turned their attention to him. "That," He waved a hand at Kakashi, "is our new security. Courtesy of Dumbledore." Alastor turned to him. "You can take off the mask, kid."

"It's a part of my uniform."

"Dumbeledore's orders."

Kakashi scowled and pulled off the porcelain cast. He also tugged the ponytail out of hid silver hair moodily, and it stubbornly sprung up to defy gravity, just cause it could.

 _Che. Might as well just wear my hitai-ate and a tag saying 'Copy-Nin Kakashi'._

"Er, isn't he a little young?" Came a voice from the group, and Kakashi nearly sighed. Another one of those anti-'child soldier' crusaders. It was a neccesity whether they liked it or not. They really should just suck it the fuck up and move on. He scanned the crowd and glared daggers at the speaker. It was an older woman with glasses and a - very sterotypical - hat. Well, if he was going to debate, he might as well get on with it.

"You're always too young for war, ma'am. Where I come from, it is a neccesity that we train young."

"Where do you come from?" She asked, slightly apalled.

"Far. And also, I'm a prodigy. I'm as young as it gets. At least for an ANBU captain."

"ANBU?"

Kakashi hesitated, trying to think of an adequate comparison that was close enough it was truth, bit also important enough to impress. He was saved from thinking of one when Alastor cut in.

"Black ops." Hmm, not quite.

"ANBU's full name translates to Special Assasination and Tactical Squad. They are the best."

"So you're a captain in them?!"

"I am the best in the ANBU. My leader risks much sending me here while we are on the brink of war. He insists it is a favor to a friend though. It is not my place to question his orders."

She was rendered speechless. As she should be.

"Do you need to hear more of my qualifications? I could list every single mission I have ever been on, every single one succesful. I could tell you that in the bingo books of enemy-nin my name is listed as 'Copy-Nin Hatake Kakashi Otherwise Known As ANBU Wolf' and underneath all it says is 'Run.' I could tell you that there is no reward listed for my death because they know no one will ever kill me." His audience was stunned into silence and Kakashi barely restrained a smile. The door creaked open and everyone turned their hheads to see who it was. A man with scraggly brown hair, patchy robes, and a smell...not quite dogs. It was more feral than that.

Wolves.

Kakashi tensed slighty and the man looked up at the group smiling in greeting. He held up a roll of paper and flopped it.

"Letter from Dumbledore." The others clambored to read it and he unfolded it, starting to read it out loud. He had to yell at first to be heard over the din, but everyone quickly quieted to listen.

"'Dear Order,  
A guard should be joining you today. He is on loan from a friend that lives far out from the Ministry's jurisdiction. He will go to the school this year with Harry and the others, and help make sure no harm comes to them or the school. He will need help learning magic and spells from the earlier years. He will go into fifth year with Harry and Ron and Hermione. He has a partner who will join him." Kakashi scoffed at that and the one reading the letter looked over at him and continued. "They may seem young at first, but I can assure you they are over-qualified. Cheers, Dumbledore.'" He paused and people started talking but he quickly hushed them with aND hurriedly added, "There's a post-script."

"'Also, tell Kakashi that Rin has already returned, and is packing as I write. She will be there soon.'"

Kakashi didn't say anything, feeling a litle humiliated. The man stepped over and handed a folded note to Kakashi. "This is for you."

Kakashi unfolded the sheet and glanced over it quickly.

 _Kakashi; Don't show off, don't hurt anyone, and don't leak killing intent, purposely or not._  
 _-Sandaime._

Well, maybe it didn't count if the person he was 'hurting' was a painting.

"There's something on the back, Remus!" The motherly looking rredhead told thos to the one holding the letter. Remus turned it over and grinned.

"'In fact, she should be there right now. Have someone go pick her up.' Well, I'll go then." Remus set the letter on the table and sweeped back around, trudging back out the door he came from. After he left, a girl with frizzy brown hair asked, slightly nervous, "Is your partner, Rin, like you?"

"You'll meet her soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

_Mission: Succesful_  
 _Rank: A_  
 _Injuries:_  
 _Rin; broken finger (1), miscellaneous laceration (16)_  
 _Gekkō Hayate; head wound (1), miscellaneous lacerations (13)_  
 _Jiraiya; head wound (2), miscellaneous laceration (14)_  
 _Casualties: none_

* * *

A few minutes later Remus returned. He stepped through the door and Kakashi lifted his head stiffly. A girl with brown hair and blue streaks onher face trailed in behind him. Rin. She smiled happily and bounded over to Kakashi.

"Isn't it great 'Kashi? Going to the Outside,learning magic..." Her voice drifted off and she smiled again. He smiled slightly at her unbound enthusiasism. She deadpanned, "Woah Kakashi. Calm down. I thought ninja weren't supposed to have emotions. Kami, if you don't stop acting so excited I'll have to institutionalize you."

"It's good to see you Rin. I thought your mission was longer?" She smiled brightly.

"The Suna-nin got impatient. So I finished early!" She hugged Kakashi, who stiffened in surprise. She shook her head and tsked.

"You always let Obito hug you." Kakashi blushed slightly.

"That was different."

"Was it?" She scanned his face, noticing his embarrasment. "..It was. How?" Her eyes were tight, and Kakashi knew she would be able to tell if he lied.

"...Not yet. Too soon." Rin sighed and relented. She would allow him this. Kakashi's eyebrows pulled together when he noticed something.

"Why are we speaking in english?" Rin grinned.

"You always were the slow one." She gave an easy laugh and explained. "I need to practice. Not all of us can learn a foreign language perfectly in a week."

"Two. Two weeks."

"Hmm? Yes, you are losing your touch. I guess your just getting slow with age." Kakashi rolled his eye. They both knew what Obito would add now. Rin said it, because otherwise it would feel incomplete.

"Still short as your ninken, though."

"How is-your eye?" She hesitated before saying "your". Kakashi knew she had nearly said "Obito's." He half smiled.

"Just as good as it was last time you asked, Rin-chan."

She pecked his masked cheek. "You know I hate that. You make me sound like a little girl. I'm older than you! But then," she added slyly, "I guess that doesn't count for much." Kakashi rollsd his eye again. He replied dryly,

"You are aware there is a _mission_ going on Rin."  
She sighed, her eyes closing irritably.  
"Yes, and right under my very nose."  
"Well, your nose should pay more attention then. Everyone in this house has been watching us ever since you started blathering. I suspect they think you insane. It would be the only explanation."

"Oh, you think you're so clever-!" She smiled good-naturedly and waved a finger at him, then faced the room who was staring at her interestedly.

"Hello! I'm Rin. I'll be helping 'Kashi guard you all."

No response. She glared at her partner who shrugged.

"You scared them!" She smacked his shoulder and went on, addresing the group.

"Please disregard anything he's said. He may be a good nin, but he's a terrible person. Not all of us are as fucked up as him. Actually, none of us."  
"Objection..."  
"Yes?"  
"Orochimaru."  
"That's different."  
"How?"  
"He's a sick, twisted, torturing, murdering freak. You just have people problems. And feeling problems. And family problems."  
"Thanks."  
"Hm. Anyways, don't listen to him. He's got issues. Any questions? Anything? I want to answer before 'Kashi can screw up your perceptions of us."

There was a pause and the frizzy haired girl piped up.

"Where are you from?"

"Konohagakure. It's really far. Not even on your maps."

"Won't be in your history books either. There is a reason it's called a _hidden_ village," Kakashi added in and Rin just ignored him.

"Are you in the...A-N-B-U thing too?"

Rin's eyes flashed and Kakashi felt he should say something in his own defense.

"No secrecy policies here," he tried weakly. rin powered on, pretending her team member didn't exist.

"What's a... soonanin?"  
"Suna is another hidden village. Nin are ninja."  
"..Who's Ohbeetoe?"

Rin was silent. Kakashi felt uncomfortable and sad as he answered. "A friend. A good friend. He was on a mission with us and... died."

The room suddenly felt very hot and stuffy. The topic really needed to change.

"Do you guys have dogs?" Kakashi blurted out randomly and everyone stared at him.

"Mainly Remus and you," he tacked that on and gestured at the black haired man who'd laughed. They looked uneasy and the second asked, "What do you mean?"

"He means you both have a thick scent of canine on you. Canine then means dogs, yes?" Rin asked earnestly.

"But not Remus. He keeps wolves." Kakashi narrowed his eyes and Rin glanced at him.

"You should work on your smell, Rin. Wolf is like dog at first, but if you concetrate, it's more feral." Rin raised an eyebrow. Kakashi grinned, baring his canines. The only way someone would be able to tell the difference was if there were Inuzaka. Or Hatake apparently.

Remus fidgeted unhappily.

"It's complicated." Kakashi snorted, but let it go. The other replied in a more helpful manner.  
"I can turn into a dog."

Rin looked at Kakashi and Kakashi shrugged.

"Magic."

She rolled her eyes but supposed that would be the only explanation she was going to get for most of this. Rin yawned and her partner glanced at her, one eyebrow raised in slight amusement.

"Time difference, you say? Just got back from an important mission, you say?" There was definitely a grin in his voice. Rin pouted and glared at him. She turned to the shorter woman with red hair and a motherly air about her.

"Do you know where we should sleep while we're here, ma'am? I'm afraid 'Kashi and I,"  
"Wait what? Don't drag me into this."  
" _'Kashi and I_ are rather tired."

The woman smiled kindly at her. "Yes of course dear. And you can call me Molly,sweetheart. You'll be with Hermione and Ginny, and your friend can stay with Ron and Harry." She gestured to which rooms they were in and Rin smiled. "Thank you, Molly." She walked to the hall, stopping and looking back at Kakashi regally.

"My bags, kind sir."  
"Get your own damn bags."

"Obito would do it! Minato-sensei would do it!" She paused and tried think of any one else. "Jiraiya would do it!"

"Yeah, so he could look at your underwear." He replied acidicly, but picked up her bags along with his duffel and followed her down the hall.

"He says it's for research. I would be contributing to art!"  
"The art of trashy porn in literature."  
"Oh hush."

They disappeared down the hall, leaving the Order to themselves once more. Everyone looked around at each other, and then Fred and George said together, grinning,

"Just another normal year at Hogwarts."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Dialogue written within asterisks *like this* is being spoken in Japanese.

* * *

 _Mission: Succesful_  
 _Rank: unranked_  
 _Injuries: refer to page 6_  
 _Casualties: Uchiha Obito_

* * *

Kakashi sat bolt upright, panting. He looked around drowsily, and saw a boy with shaggy black hair and another with bright red had joined him and were sleeping silently in their own beds. He let out a jagged breath and sweeped a hand through his hair. He stepped out of the room and stood in front of the girls' room door. Before he even had a chance to knock, the it swung open to reveal Rin. She looked tired and smiled half-heartedly.

"Nightmares?"  
"Yeah."  
"Me too."

She stepped out of the room and shut the door carefully so as to not wake her two sleeping partners. She put her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. Kakashi sat across from her and she put her head in her hands. They were lounging in silence like that when Rin started talking in a whisper.

"Kyuubi was attacking the village. Minato-sensei and Obito and you all went to go fight him, and told me to stay behind and keep safe. I didn't listen. I followed you guys, but you didn't notice. He killed Minato with one swipe of his paw." Her voice was small as she said this. Minato represented hope. If he couldn't do it, his students certainly couldn't. "He was going to flatten you with his tail, but Obito pushed you out of the way." Her voice was thick, and Kakashi could tell she had started crying.

"You looked around and saw me watching. You were about to shout at me when Kyuubi turned around and hit me with his paw." She sniffled and scrubbed at the tears on her face. She didn't look at her friend's face, staring down at the floor. Kakashi spoke.

"We were back in the cave. Obito was dying and you kept insisting we had to do the surgery now or the eye wouldn't take. I couldn't understand you though. I mean, I heard what you were saying, but I couldn't comprehend what it meant. All I could do was stare at Obito and watch him dying and think 'this is all my fault.'" Rin looked at him, eyes shining with tears. Kakashi put a hand to his face and was numb with surprise to find it wet with tears. Rin took his hand in hers and leaned over to his face. She kissed him shakily on the cheek and pulled away and intoned tremblingly,

"We're pretty screwed up, aren't we 'Kashi?" He swallowed greatly and replied.

"Considering my dream was a memory, I'd say that's a yes." They shared a breathless laugh and Rin stood up. Kakashi pushed himself off the floor and leaned againt the door behind him.

"Goodnight 'Kashi." He gave a small smile. He wouldn't say good.

"'Night Rin." She went back into her room, vlosing the door softly. Kakashi did the same.

* * *

After the nightmare, he slept fitfully. After tossing and turning, he was finally able to settle into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Next thing he knew, he was being mercilessly kicked.

"*Huh wai- what?*" He propped himself up on his elbows and managed a sleepy glare at the perpetrator. Rin grinned down at him.

"I was about to hack off your arm. I didn't think you were such a heavy sleeper."  
He groaned and pulled himself up onto his feet.

"I'm not. I didn't sleep so well last night, that's all." Rin didn't answer, but her smile softened.  
He leaned down to dig through his bags and pulled out his hitai-ate. He reached up to replace the scratchy bandages when he noticed three kids staring at him. It was the brown-haired girl and the two boys who he shared his room with.

"Hi," the girl hazarded and Kakashi nearly snorted.

"Hi."

"I'm Hermione. That's Ron and Harry." She gestured to the two boys.

"Hi! You already know me and Kakashi." Rin smiled at her and they smiled back timidly.

"So, we don't really know anyone or anything about all this," She waved her hands in an all-encompassing gesture, "so could you guys introduce us to everyone first?" Harry and Ron looked uncertain, but Hermione nodded graciously.

"Great!"

And just like that, the two were dragged around the house and introduced to all the members of the Order.

There was Sirius, the man who could turn into a dog. He said he wouls be teaching them magic along with Remus and some others.

There was Arthur and Molly Weasely, they were nice. Molly assured them that they would be helping with the cleaning of the house. They went rather quickly to the next person.

There was Ginny and the twins, Fred and George. The twins promised trouble in the future and Ginny went back to practicing her hexes on her brothers.

There was Tonks and Remus, and Tonks demonstrated her trick to them, which they both found rather curious.  
Mcgonagoll, who Kakashi tried to escape as soon as possible, and Rin smacked him upside the head when she found out what he'd done.

And countless others. Some were out on Order business apparently, and they would probably meet them later. There was someone called Snape who no one seemed to like. He would be coming back that day.

After they had finished all the introductions, Molly found them and set them to work. They had to sweep the clutter out of the upstairs rooms since they didn't know any magic.

"Fun." Kakashi commented dryly and Rin rolled her eyes.

"Get over yourself. Just because you never clean your house doesn't mean others don't. In fact, when was the last time you even went into your apartment?" Kakashi mumbled incoherently and Rin knew she had won. She grinned and went back to shoving knickknacks into a trash bag.

After a few hours of working dutifully, they decided to take a break. They snuck downstairs and picked a passageway no one was using. Rin painted a target on the door of one end of the long hallway. Kakashi took the brush and sketched an inky picture of Gai on top of the small red bullseye. Rin giggled and they went to the far end of the hallway. They took turns throwing kunai and shuriken at Gai. They ended up drawing three more targets, since one was getting full and they didn't want to try and pull their weapons from the door. After a while of that, Rin said to Kakashi in a mischievous tone,

"I bet you can't hit it with your eyes closed."

Kakashi gave her a bored look and pointedly shut his eyes tight and tossed the shuriken straight at the target. After hearing the /thunk/ as it buried itself in the mahogany door, Kakashi openes his eyes Bullseye.

Rin made a noise of dissapointment.

"Hmm well, I beg you can't hit it with your eyes closed _and_ your back turned!"

"Che. Watch me."

He turned around and closed his eyes, palming the kunai as he calculated how he would hit it. When he had figured it out, he threw the projectile over his shouder with ease. He heard a click, a squeak, and a thunk, and whirled back around.

Rin had her hands clamped over her mouth, eyes wide. The door was halfway open, a tall scary-looking man with greasy black hair and a long hooked nose had his hand on the doorknob. He looked shocked and angry. That must be Snape. Kakashi also noticed one other thing.

"Told you I could do it."

The kunai he had thrown had a red tag on it. And there it was, red ribbon dangling and everything, stuck right on the bullseye of the door that was now partially open.

"Ha! Puh-leeeeze. The door moved. If he hadn't opened it, you would have been waaay off."

"What! It hit before he opened it. You need to get your eyes checked."

"Yeah right. Prove it."

"Fine! I'll do it again!" He stomped down the hall and ripped the kunai out of the door. He ran back and turned back around. He started calculating again and heard Rin say, "Sir, if you would be so kind." He could feel the heated glare prickle on the back of his neck, but there was a click and footsteps approaching. They stopped next to Rin and she called,

"Clear."

Kakashi tossed it over his shoulder and there was another _thunk_. He turned around and there it was. Bullseye.

"*TOLD you.*" Kakashi rang out triumphantly, unknowingly talking in Japanese. Rin grinned and conceded.

"*Fine, fine. But that's simple.*" She chirped with a smirk.

"*Simple!?*" Kakashi cried, offended. "*You do it then!*" She raised her chin defiantly.

"*Maybe I will!*" She was tying a green ribbon around the ring of her own kunai when there was a loud throat clearing. The two looked up at the man who was glaring at them.

"Who are _you_?" He sneered and Rin blinked at him owlishly.

"*Didn't you know?*" She asked and the man glared at them even more vehemently.

"I don't speak Japanese." She flushed self-consciously and whacked Kakashi on the head.

"Dammit Kakashi!"

"How is it _my_ fault!?"

"I dunno, it just is. It _always_ is." The Hatake's lip curled but didn't answer.

"Didn't you know, sir? Dumbledore-sama-"

"Just Dumbledore will be fine."

"Shut. Up." She growled to him, he grinned back, and she readdressed the man. "Dumbledore hired us to guard Hogwarts this year. If you are unsatisfied, we can call for backup."

"I'm sure Kawauso and Tanuki are _itching_ to come hang out with the Magyx Gang." Kakashi's voice was dripping witb sarcasm and Rin snorted and stifled a giggle.

"Shut _up_. You ANBU are such _losers_ about the Outside. You just have no sense of _adventure_."

"Mostly because your ' _adventure_ ' gets nin killed." He rolled his eyes as he said it, and Rin's lips tightened. Kakashi looked back at Snape, who seemed put out by the way they ignored his hatefulness. He then attempted to reign the conversation back in.

" _Unsatisfied_ by children? How could I?" Kakashi rolled his eyes again.

"If that's it, go ask Mcgonagoll what I said to her. Or anyone else for that matter. They all heard it." Snape glared and turned away, making to leave dramatically, when Molly pushed open the door. She looked at the back of it and yelled at the two she knew were to blame.

"That's MAHOGANY!"


	6. Chapter 6

_PURCHASE_  
 _WHT ROSE 200_  
 _SubTotal 200_  
 _Tax 045_  
 _TOTAL 245_  
 _Cash 300 Change 055_

* * *

Hearing Molly's screech, everyone rushed to see what the pproblem was. Snape was effectively trapped by the crowd gathering to gaze at the four targets painted on the _mahogany_ door. Sirius came in, an air of taking-charge about him, and asked,

"What's going on here? Hello Severus," He added distractedly, and Molly answered.

"Your guards have been using the door as _target practice_!" Sirius looked over the painted targets, taking note that all the weapons where either on or right next to the center dot.

"…They're pretty good. Glad they're on our side." A few people snorted and some laughed quietly. Molly's face softened, but she was still rather put out. Severus looked enraged.

"They nearly killed me!"

That got some more snickers and Sirius replied coolly,

"Well then maybe you shouldn't open the door when you know pointy objects are being thrown at it at high speeds." Most people where outright laughing now, and if not, they had at least snorted quietly. One of the twins hooted out, "Too bad they missed!" Kakashi and Rin exchanged a look. They started silently pulling their weapons out of the door, one by one. Once all the projectiles were safely back in thei holsters Kakashi and Rin bowed to Snape.

"We apologize." Rin also tacked on "Professor." Severus's lip curled, and he stalked away.

* * *

A few days later, Rin and Kakashi has been picking through a room when they heard a scream. They dropped their bags and sprinted towards the source. They found Molly Weasely kneeling beside Ron, who was spread eagle on the floor. Rin approached the women cautiously, and when she got closer, Ron changed into something else.

It was Orochimaru.

Orochimaru, in all his freakish glory, his sharp-nailed fingers digging into Kakashi's shoulder so hard it drew blood. But not Kakashi- a fake Kakashi. One with his mask pulled down and his eye torn up, bleeding, with stitches marring the warped flesh around it. But it was open and staring, the sharingan spinning. Rin choked and froze,unable to do anything but stare. Kakashi knocked her down and fell on top of her awkwardly, pushing Rin's shoulders down forecfully. She looked up at Kakashi, her eyes shining hlwith tears. The other nin couldn't look at her, his gaze fixed on the new sight. Now it was Obito Uchiha, the fallen comrade. He looked unharmed, his goggles pusged up on his forehead. He had his eyes locked on Kakashi's, and smiled a knife-thin smile, all teeth. Then he spoke, in English, which was strange to hear coming from their old friend's mouth. But what was most strange where the words, spoken with a harsh cruel edge. The voice of someone who enjoys to break people wit their words until they are incapable of fighting.

"It was all fake, you know?"

Kakashi took a deep ragged breath. Tensing for the words he had imagined so many times before.

"How could anyone love _you_ , anyway? Cold heartless nin. Ruthless killer, prodigy. Boy genius. And son of the disgraced Hatake Sakumo no less.  
"Hatake Sakumo. Who killed himself, and left his body for his child to find. Left his poor little kid to fend for himself in a world like ours.  
"How could anyone love someone so _damaged_? So _broken_ that he lets his friend _die_ so he won't be like his father.  
"It was fake. All of it. Every smile, every kiss, every touch - everything.  
"I never loved you."

It was too much. He couldn't take it. He was shaking, fists clenched. His face was jerked around, and he was facing Rin.

"It's not real Kakashi. He's dead! Dead! Do you hear me?!"

When the nin didn't respond, she pushed him off her and pulled him up. She took him by the scruff of his neck and shook him and said through gritted teeth,

"It's - not - real." When she again got no response, she pushed him back and slapped straight across his face. A squeaky whimper tore from his throat and Rin pulled him towards the door. She pushed past the crowd that had formed and dragged Kakashi to her room. She slammed the door and shoved Kakashi down onto a bed. He sat down and looked up at his friend. Her eyes where tight, scared and worried. Her lips twitched in a last-ditch effort at controlling herself. Then she screamed.

"WHAT the FUCK?! YOU and OBITO were DATING?! I CUT out his EYE and put it in YOUR EYE SOCKET and you NEVER TOLD ME?! I'M a PART of this FUCKING team too.

It seems you two FORGOT at some point. Well THANKS. THANKS A WHOLE FUCKING BUNCH. Let's see a psych-nin try and sort us out now." She laughed hollowly. "A talentless, ignored, infatuated medic, a peppy failure abused by his family and /dead/, and a boy genius with a suicidal father and a dead mother, everything-issues, and inablity to cope with emotions, his dead lover's eye in his own socket, and a touch that mutilates and kills horrifically anything that might become precious."

She stopped there and took a long shuddering breath. Her legs buckled and she kneeled in front of Kakashi on the floor. He finally was able to reply in a weak voice.

"We were going to. We really were. Then we went on the mission and other things took precedent." Rin looked up at him, tears slipping down her cheek. He stroked her hair eoftly and she buried her face in his pants. She gave muffled sobs, her shouders trembling. Kakashi was silent as she cried. When it finally subsided, Rin was silent then said in a whisper,

"You never cry."

Kakashi gave her a confused look and she lifted her head, looking at him with puffy eyes. She wiped at her face and elaborated.

"When your dad died, you didn't cry. When Obito died, you didn't shed a tear. You never cry. Not for anything." Kakashi shrugged. He didn't really know himself.

"I just…can't." He looked over Rin's at nothing. "When Obito died, I really wanted to. But no matter what I just…it doesn't work." He paused as he felt Rin's full attention on him. "I've only ever cried before my father died.

"I remember, a few months ago, while you were on that sound mission, there was a mixup at the mission desk. I got sent a letter saying you and Minato-sensei were dead." He was petting Rin's hair absently as he talked and her face was still against his legs, but he could feel her listening.

"I didn't cry. I realized that all I had left in the world was gone, and I just…shut down. I went completely numb and I didn't eat for three days until you came back from the mission. That's why I acted so weird when you came by my house. I had thought you and sensei had been dead for three days. It was strange. I was staring at a letter that said my life was meaningless and I didn't even have the decency to cry about it."

"Is that why you became a Captain? Without Obito your life was meaningless?" A muffled question came from Rin's head. His jaw clenched and he answered with a hard

"No. It was just…it was recoil. Just when I had started to question myself on what I had decided when Sakumo died, when I thought maybe friends and all that was a good thing, Life just had kill Obito as if too say 'haHA got you Hatake! Thought you could have a normal life, right? Wrong!'. Like someone had slapped me in the face and told me to not get my hopes up. Not much of a confidence-booster, yeah?" Kakashi's fingers twitched in Rin's hair and she looked up at him.

"Oh 'Kashi…still, this doesn't excuse you for not telling me."

"Of course, Rin. I should have. Every time I thought I might be able to, it just seemed like a bad time."

Rin sniffled and sat down heavily next to Kakashi on her bed. She leaned on Kakashi's shoulder, clinging to his arm. Kakashi shifted closer to her and they sat together for a while.

Sadly though, duty called. They had jobs to finish. Kakashi stood, tugging Rin up along with him. She wiped her face again, her eyes looking better than before, but still a little pink. Kakashi patted her shoulder gently and opened the door.

"Work to be done, Rin-chan," he murmured and she nodded mutely. They padded silently through the halls, which were quiet. Instead of checking on Molly, they went back to do what they were doing before.

Namely, throwing stuff away.

It seemed they didn't have much confidence in non-magic people and thought it was the only job they were capable of doing.

The worked for an hour or two, quietly talking. Kakashi told Rin all about what he and Obito had done together. He was in the middle of telling her about the time when Obito had insisted they adopt a stray kitten he had found on the street.

"…It was this little thing really, tiny, and grey with black splotches all over it. He wanted to name it after you, but I said one of you was enough." He chuckled as Rin chucked him upside the head, laughing softly. The door creaked open and they looked ip together. Hermione leaned her head inside the room and said dinner was ready.

They nodded and she closed the door and they heard her footsteps retreating. Rin and Kakashi exchanged a look and set their stuff down. They slipped down tthe halls to the kitchen, from which lots of noise could be heard.


End file.
